Yearly container inflow to Yangon ports through normal trade rose by 20 per cent over the past four years, it is learnt from the Myanma Port Authority.
Over 1,000 container ships arrived in Yangon ports in the 2006-2007 fiscal year. During the last fiscal year of 2015-2016, over 2,300 foreign container ships entered Yangon ports whereas there were over 300 container ships as of May in this fiscal year of 2016-2017, it is learnt.
The containers are mostly from Singapore and Malaysia. If the handling of containers is not finished in the daytime, it is continued during the evening with the aim of facilitating trade. The 24-hour service is convenient, but it is hard to find places to store empty containers, causing port traffic. After this problem is sorted out, the exporting is expected to run more smoothly, said U Min Maw Thant, an exporter.
The Yangon port is faced with a struggle to handle the containers arriving at the port when the owners of the goods fail to withdraw their goods in a timely manner. To prevent the ports from being used as godowns, the authorities increased the fines for those who fail to remove their goods on time. This is an attempt for the ports to be able to move cargo quickly and decrease backlogs.—200
Source: The Global New Light Of Myanmar